I read so many posts about the infamous jerky transmission. Had pretty much decided to not get a Toyota/Lexus car because of it. But, did not want a CVT and did not want turbo or a German DI engine. So, bought a 2020 ES. I do mostly short trip stop/go driving and concede that Sports Mode helps a lot, BUT this jerky transmission sucks! I hate it and regret buying the car. Instead of looking forward to driving it, I make up excuses not to. If you come to a complete stop before accelerating you are ok. But, if you are still rolling and have to accelerate, get ready for whiplash. Hate it, I really do hate it.

 

Join the club. I had a 2013 with a 6 speed and it was smooth as butter. The 8 speed is always searching for a gear and is indeed "jerky"... What you describe is accurate. I found if you ease the accelerator the jerking is moderated somewhat. It is what it is at this point...

 

Exactly, you have to be so gentle opening throttle you may as well have a 1.8L 4 banger under the hood.

Wish I still had my 21 yo Avalon....it had a smooth powerful acceleration. I really miss it.

 

I was given a UX 200 as a loaner when I took in my vehicle for a fuel pump replacement. It reminded me how much I miss having a CVT transmission and was shocked how much fun I had driving it. How I wish more vehicles would use a CVT transmission. Unfortunately, at the ES price point, most non CVT transmissions have the same issue. It just seems to be more noticeable on the ES since it's front-wheel drive and has 302hp & 267 lb-ft torque.

 

The smooth CVT transmission is one of the things my wife and I enjoy about hybrid vehicles. They don’t have to be boring, but they will never compete with a conventional transmission for off-the-line power. They definitely aren’t “jerky” though...

 

Glad to see everyone is now openly admitting the problem. Back in late 2019 when I got mine and *****ed about it on this forum. Back then many denied the problem! My solution is to drive in ECO and keep it in the S positions like S6 all the time. Then down shift manually too. Plus as said, baby it on a rolling start. Helps but no cure. My 2010 6-speed did it too, just not near as bad.

 

Doug could not agree more. The boss drives the ES 300h and I drive the RX450h. When you have a CVT you forgot about the transmission. Just had the RX in for an oil change and got a RX350 as a loaner. When you drive a regular transmission you quickly remember what shifting through 6 8 or 10 gears is like. Some like the shifting and I would rather forget about it and enjoy the smoothness. Someone posted they thought the regular transmission was smoother then the CVT. Found that humorous that one thinks again shifting through all those gears would be smoother then not shifting at all.

 

I had a loaner RX hybrid a few weeks ago and absolutely hated everything about it. Again all subjective and personal preference.

 

Mike, pls say more about the hybrid. I was thinking about test driving one. What did you did most objectionable?

 

The dreadful feel off the line, the frequent off and on of the gas engine and Ive also driven other CVTs before and hated them. This one felt no different. Again personal preference so hybrid lovers don't be offended.

 

The gas and hybrid definitely have a different feel. You can hear more growl from the 4 cylinder engine when pushing it hard, and it struggles a bit on steep mountain roads. Yes, the gas engine does cut on/off as necessary but I cannot feel it so it doesn't bother me. I especially appreciate that behavior at the gas station, where I calculated 46 mpg on the last fillup. Now I can afford the gas for a standard gas engine car, especially with the low mileage I put on a car, but I like the idea of saving gas. I really like the smoother and (typically) quieter drivetrain of the hybrid. There is an argument that the weight of the battery over the rear wheels improves winter handling but I don't know if I agree with that.

Anyway, I would never fault anyone for having a different opinion of one drivetrain versus another. I think the bottom line is that you just need to drive one yourself if you think you might be interested and form your own conclusions rather than listen to any of us, as we are all opinionated. Both drivetrains are proven and reliable.

 

The six speed transmission does not hunt as much as the 8 speed transmission, and the 6 speed is far more pleasurable to drive.

 

Likely the case with any car but most cars are now 8 and higher.

 

HA! My '98 Corvette is a 4 speed auto... Had a '66 that was a 2 speed auto. High and low...Slip and slide with Powerglide... Time marches on... Next is a 10 speed I guess.

 

Some of the manufacturers are already there.

And, on internet boards, you will find complaints similar to the ones in this thread for other cars with transmissions having 8 or more speeds. While I'm sure that there are relatively minor potential improvements in fuel economy with more transmission speeds, there are also definite drawbacks.